New COVID-19 cases in Ontario remain above 1,000 for fifth consecutive day

GTA vaccination clinics gear up as supply arrives Officials estimate that Phase 2, for frontline essential workers and adults aged 60 and older, will begin in April.

TORONTO — For the fifth day in a row, Ontario health officials are reporting more than 1,000 new cases of COVID-19.

The 1,058 new infections recorded Monday represent a slight decrease over Sunday’s total when 1,087 cases were logged. The province recorded 1,228 cases on Saturday.

Monday’s report brings the total number of lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ontario to 294,144, including 276,937 recoveries and 6,872 deaths.

Eleven of those deaths occurred in the last 24 hours and four of those who died were residents of a long-term care home.

There are 10,335 active cases of COVID-19 across Ontario.

The seven-day average for number of cases reported in Ontario is currently 1,044. A week ago today, that number was 1,051.

With 31,163 tests completed in the previous day, the province says Ontario’s COVID-19 positivity rate stands at 3.3 per cent.

Where are the new COVID-19 cases?

Most of the infections logged Monday were found in Ontario’s novel coronavirus hot spots.

Toronto logged 325 cases, Peel Region logged 215, and York Region logged 87, according to the provincial data.

York entered the red level of the province’s colour-coded COVID-19 response framework Monday, meaning that non-essential businesses like gyms and restaurants can reopen with capacity limits in place.

A stay-at-home order remains in effect for Toronto, Peel Region and North Bay Parry Sound until at least March 8.

The province says there are currently 646 people in hospital with COVID-19. That number has been steadily dropping since early January.

Of those patients, 280 are being treated in an intensive care unit and 189 are breathing with the assistance of a ventilator.

COVID-19 variants in Ontario

Right now, there are 390 cases of the COVID-19 variant known as B.1.1.7, which was first discovered in the U.K., in Ontario.

As well, there are nine documented cases of B.1.351, which was first found in South Africa, and one case of P.1, first recorded in Brazil, confirmed in the province.

Nearly 250,000 Ontarians vaccinated

The province says that 240,669 people have received both their first and second doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and are considered to be fully vaccinated against the virus.

Since inoculations began in mid-December, 569,455 doses of a vaccine have been administered across Ontario.

Nearly 13,000 of those shots were administered in the last 24 hours.